CHAPTER 1
Just like the First Book of Chronicles, Chronicles II
basically retells what we were already told, just with less style and a large
focus on really boring stuff.
This chapter begins the reign of Solomon. He asks God for wisdom and gets it, and then
God decides to give him wealth as well.
It’s just what we read about it in Kings I.
CHAPTER 2
Solomon decides to conscript labor for his temple – 70,000
stone carriers, 80,000 stone cutters, and 3,600 overseers. At the end of the chapter Solomon takes a
census of foreign men in Israel and it amounts to 153,600 – the exact same as
the sum of the combined numbers. So
he’ll turn all foreign men into forced laborers. It’s the same as what happened to the Hebrew
in Egypt --- and the ancient Hebrew version of the Bible uses the same
word.
Solomon makes a pledge to God that he’ll make him a great
house because “our God is greater than all other gods,” a statement that
indicates that other gods do in fact exist.
He wants it to be the best place ever, and gets the people from Lebanon
to give them their stuff, because apparently they have the best stuff.
The king of Lebanon gives Solomon all kinds of flattery, and
it looks like Solomon is a sucker for flattery.
CHAPTER 3
They’re going to build the temple on the very spot David saw
the Angel of the Lord after the three-day plague. Huh. I don’t recall that detail from the
previous books, but that’s a bit interesting.
Mostly, this chapter is just temple specs for what will be
built.
CHAPTER 4
More architecture porn.
Solomon is important because he built the Temple. Oh, he’s wise and stuff, but the main focus
is on that temple he built.
CHAPTER 5
Time to dedicate the Temple.
It’s a short chapter.
CHAPTER 6
Here we get Solomon’s speech about the Temple. We heard this already in Kings I: Chapter
8. It’s still a great speech – but we
already heard it.
CHAPTER 7
Solomon finishes his speech and fire comes down from heaven
to consume the burnt offerings and sacrifices.
Well, that’s neat. God promises
to Solomon that he’ll rule over all Israel.
CHAPTER 8
The Bible notes that Solomon uses plenty of forced laborers,
but they are all foreigners, no Hebrew.
Yeah, this is exactly what happened to the Hebrew back in Egypt.
Right after we’re told about Solomon’s work projects, we’re
told about his piety. Really? That wasn’t his strong point in Kings I. But here, when he marries the pharaoh’s
daughter, he won’t have her live in his palace, because it’s too holy. This is very different than in Kings I. There, his wives led him away from God. Here, that stuff isn’t mentioned at all. Not in this chapter, not anywhere in
Chronicles. As was the case in the
retelling of the story of David, all negative stories are edited out.
CHAPTER 9
This just retells the story of the Queen of Sheba coming to
see Solomon. “King Solomon gave the
queen of Sheba everything she desired and asked for.” Hey-hey! Then other kings from Arabia come up
and give gold and silver to Solomon.
Why? Because he’s so wise. That rings so incredibly false. “Wow, you’re so wise! Here’s my money!” C’mon.
Leaders don’t give up money that easily.
But here the Bible says leaders gave tribute just to hear his
wisdom. Oh, barf.
Also, as was the case in Kings I, the news of Solomon’s wisdom is all tell, no show. It’s just generic praise with little actual info.
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